New Chapter!And it's even longer than the previous one. You wouldn't have expected it so fast, would you?

Thank you so much for all the encouraging reviews you gave me for the last chapter. They made me sit down on my ass and write the next one (well, the main scene of it was already done almost two years ago, now I could finally put it into the story after writing the other three quaters of the chapter). Now I'll have a short vacation with my family after which it's back to the books for me, studying for the end of term. Just so you know, it'll take me a while to write the following chapter, which by the way will be the last one dealing with Haruka's past.

Enjoy reading and a Happy New Year to all of you! Let's make 2010 rock ;-)

Disclaimer: Lyrics 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

Half my life
Is in books' written pages
Lived and learned from fools and from sages
You know it's true
All the things come back to you

I did not know when Michiru-san told Kazuki to screw himself, which I am sure she phrased a lot more politely, but after lunch she had send me an email.

Haruka-san,

Thank you very much once again for being so outspoken with me yesterday. It's good to know one has a friend who talks sense into one's, at times, all-too-cloudy mind.
Meet up with me at the charity dinner at seven.

Kaiou Michiru

Whether she wrote after calling up that guy or before to make herself go through with it, but I could not claim to care much; not as long as she had chosen me.
However, if I was honest with myself, I had to admit that, from the moment Michiru had told me about Kazuki coming back until just now when I had read her mail, there had been an uneasiness in me, tightness in my chest as if I wanted to cough but couldn't quite.
I was happy and relieved that Michiru was thinking of her own first. I did not wish to see my friend look as sad as she had the evening before when we talked about Kazuki and her obligations.
"What's up with you, Tenou?" Hiroshi asked me suddenly "What is 'good'?"
"Oh" I said, realising I must have voiced my gladness. "I'm sorry if I was disturbing you. It's nothing of importance."
Though the conversation was dismissed and I retreated behind my screen, I could feel my colleague glancing at me every so often. It was nagging, I couldn't quite concentrate, having to correct my frequent typos. I sighed.
"Just say it already what you want to say, Hiroshi, it's highly disturbing if you keep staring."
It was too late form him to lie about staring, for I had fixated him right in the middle of doing so, but at least he had the grace to look slightly uncomfortable upon being caught. Not that it would have kept his mouth shut. "I wonder what this 'nothing of importance' is that has happened to you. You had a look as if the sun has lit up in your face my boy and you cannot tell me that is nothing."
Now it was my turn to become flustered and protesting there really wasn't anything going on.
"So you're unwilling to tell,huh?" He tried to poke once more.
"If that's what you want to call it, then yes."
Hiroshi, instead of letting it go, got up, put on his best impression of a fatherly face and came around to my desk. Patting me on the shoulder, he asked. "So, who is the girl you've met and who's writing you steaming love letters full of her passion for you?"
"Enough!" I cried, whirling around, swatting away his hand. It was a very rude thing to do, to a senior colleague even more, but by now I was seething. Enough was enough. "I was happy for a friend. Now let me kindly do my work and do not bother me with any more crap." I hissed. He shrank back, as I was glaring daggers at him in want of an actual blade, before muttering I was quite touchy today and slinking back to his own desk.
Finally I was able to finish writing the code as I was really looking forward to the evening.

Putting on the dress-shirt and suit that night had a melancholic feeling, for I knew it would be the last evening to go out with Michiru like this. Funny, I thought, how the same sort of parties and events I had detested to attend as a woman, had become quite appealing to me when I was disguised as a man. Even as a simple employee, a nobody without name in the illustrious circles of Tokyo's society, I felt freer than as the daughter of my father, who everybody know and who was ogled at in painful attempts to appear subtle. It was the combination of appearing as a men and being unknown, I realised; nobody cared about Tenou Haruka here and I only had to care about the woman I had come with.

When I arrived, Michiru was already standing in front of the entrance, waiting. I quickened my pace to get to her, after all making a lady wait was bad manners.
"I'm sorry you had to wait Michiru-san." I apologized.
"No no, I came a bit early. I..." she hesitated for the briefest moment "was looking forward to this evening."
"I'm happy to hear that." I told her, raising her hand to my lips and kissing it lightly. "Then we should enjoy it best as we can."
We both smiled at each other and as I looked into her eyes I couldn't help but think that Michiru felt the same melancholy which had gripped me. This evening would be an end in a way, we both knew it. Friend or not, with Michiru's schedule as CEO it were impossible to spend so much time together as in the last month.

Once we had passed through the doors into the foyer, heads of guests already arrived turned to see who the newcomers were and a good portion recognised Michiru Kaiou. Some, who were maybe hoping for deals with KaiouKom in the near future, came over to greet Michiru; others who thought themselves above ingratiating, simply waited for Michiru to make her way to them. After a month I now knew most of the faces and I myself was recognised as Michiru's companion – some nodded to me in passing, others, such as the three ladies I had met on the very first evening posing as a gentleman not only knew my name but talked a great length to me as well as to Michiru.

However it did not last long. We had been shown to our table by a waiter, and had taken our seats between two elderly couples, the Yanagis, a rich entrepreneur as Michiru told me and the now retired Iwais, old friends of Michiru's parents, when a new member arrived at our table. He was young, fairly handsome but with to much styling gel mashed into his black hair. Iwai-san greeted him in an exuberant manner. "Oh my dear! Kazuki-kun! It's been so long since we last saw you!"

So this was him.

I watched him as he answered Iwai-san's welcome with a most amiable smile and then proceeded to greet the rest of the table. Michiru, I noticed, watched anxiously as he made his round, reaching her as the last one, besides me. I regarded the exchange between the two with an expressionless face.

"Michiru-san" he exclaimed. "what a coincidence we should be sitting at the same table. It's good to see you again." He was a smooth liar, for it had been more than likely they should be sharing a table when most people had according to Michiru expected them together.
"Good evening Kazuki-san, how nice of you to grace us with your presence again after you've been absent for so long." Her tone was as polite as his smile was charming, yet both theirs eyes were cold and I wondered if I was the only one noticing or if the rest of our party was so accustomed to falsities they simply did not care.

Kazuki seemed intent on ignoring my presence at the table, but I Michiru glanced once at me, than back at him and said in her sweetest voice. "May I introduce you to Tenou Haruka-san, a very promising member of our company who has become inducted in our circles."

"Nice." was his reply, acknowledging my presence with the barest nod. Clearly it did not please him to be cast aside for some uprising employee, some one he clearly deemed below his notice. However then other guest arrived at our table, their arrival distracting him and soon the starters were served.

All through dinner, Michiru held her conversation with me and the Yanagis and the couple next to them, whom I didn't know, making it a point not to even look at Kazuki. He did likewise, smooth-talking with the Iwais. I tried to listen into his conversations with them, but it was difficult. For once every so often Kazuki would shoot a dirty look in the direction of Michiru or me when he thought himself unobserved and I also had to pay attention to what my Michiru was saying next to me, when she would suddenly ask me a question or seeking my back-up in what she had just stated. Nevertheless I managed to catch a snippet of his conversation with Iwai-san, who had asked him why he, handsome young man that he was, had come alone today upon which the slimy actor replied he had hoped to see Michiru alone as well, but alas his hopes had been undone with an underling like me here.

I heard Iwai-san answering in defence of my impeccable behaviour, but it was obvious she was smitten with Kazuki's charm and I began to think that it might have been ill-advised to encourage Michiru in standing him up. Maybe my motives had not been as selfless as I wanted to believe.
Waiting until I could get Michiru's attention again took me a while since she was in a vivid discussion about the latest transaction Yanagi's rival had executed and whether there had been any chance to prevent the deal. But just when I was about to speak to her, Kazuki appeared by her side, asking if she could spare a few minutes to talk to him in private. I hadn't even noticed when he had stood up from his seat.

Michiru looked at me reluctantly, but Kazuki gave a short, cheerful laugh. "Don't worry about him, he'll do fine without you for a little. I'm sure everybody will be nice to Tengu-san." The other guests at our table nodded.
"It's Tenou." I told him coolly and we both stared at each other with unhidden animosity until Michiru got up with the promise to be back in a bit.

"My boy," Iwai-san whispered to me when his wife was distracted. "You'd better align yourself with Soma Kazuki if do not want to be crushed and negate the efforts Michiru-san has put in you. His father's company is almost as important as KaiouKom and they share a lot of deals, if you want into an executive position you need him as a friend not as an enemy."
Tempting as it was to tell Iwai-san that I didn't give a damn about an executive position and that I simply hated precious Kazuki for being an arrogant ass, it would reflect badly on Michiru a lot more than a few angry stares, and Iwai-san meant only well. So I kept my gaze blank, simply nodding and saying thank you.

Now with Michiru gone, the whole affair had suddenly turned into one the dreary parties I had known from my home. Sure, I was still perceived and treated as a man, but alone amidst these people I didn't care for the act had lost its appeal. So I half-heartedly took part in the conversations, glancing around hall ever so often if Michiru was already coming back. Time went by and when I felt I couldn't take it anymore I excused myself to the bathroom and went to look for Michiru.

Taking the longest way possible to leave the hall had me seeing a lot of important faces, politicians, CEOs and generally the rich people, but neither Michiru nor Kazuki were amongst them. Outside in the foyer I turned right and walked down the corridor where a discreet sign indicated the bathrooms, although I had little hope of finding her there, the corridor was completely empty. As I could not simply walk into the ladies' bathroom dressed as a man, I waited in front of the door for almost ten minutes, but nobody came out.
Sighing I started to walk back towards the main hall when I saw a staircase leading up to the first floor. I stopped. The staircase was laid out with a thick velvety carpet to absorb the sound of steps and had a general look silent importance about it. If one was looking for a spot to have a private conversation this staircase would be begging to be gone up, so I quickly made my way up.
The steps led to a T-junction where a slender man stood behind the bar. Left and right the carpeted hallway went on with a door every few metres. Indecisive of what to do now, I stood there for a few moments, looking down both corridors just to see nobody until the barkeeper spoke to me.
"Good evening sir, are you looking for a room to rest, a place to have a drink without being disturbed?"
I shook my head. Upon a second look the man seemed to be more than a simple barkeeper, more like a concierge or something of the like and I was about to ask him whether he had seen Kazuki and Michiru come up here, but then thought it better not to. After all, where should they be if not in one of these rooms. If I asked the barkeeper, he might just as well tell Kazuki later that a blonde man had inquired about him. He wasn't going to get the any more satisfaction by knowing I followed him here, nor did I want Michiru to know.
"Thank you, I was only looking for the bathroom." I said with a false smile and hopped he would attribute my searching gaze to looking for the toilets.
"Then I must inform you, that you are on the wrong floor sir, the bathrooms are located downstairs. Just go down the corridor and then turn left."
I thanked him and he bowed. Quickly I descended again, for the most embarrassing situation would be if Kazuki and Michiru were to come back only to find me waiting up here for them.
My plan was to go back to the table, drink some wine and hope that I would not have to wait much longer, but as I crossed the foyer downstairs, I was caught by Chiaki-san, one of the three women I had met on the gallery opening a month earlier. She beckoned me over to her.
"Tenou-san!" she exclaimed, rather unladylike as she gripped my hand enthusiastically. "Finally I have met you alone! You must come to my table for a while and we'll have a drink or two. I waited so long for a chance to have a little chat with you."
Chiaki-san went on and on in the same manner. Her former companions, Hoga-san and Sanada-san, were sitting at different tables, therefore she really had me all to herself. True, I didn't have anything else to do, apart from waiting for my friend, but her mindless babble knew no end. Two glasses of wine down, she was still alternating between gossiping about the other young women eligible in these circles, present or not, and blatantly flirting with me. I switched to drinking water, trying my hardest to keep a polite smile plastered on my face until I was finally able to disengage myself.

Upon returning to the table I found it almost empty, only the two elderly couples were still sitting there, immersed in a vivid conversation, which they stopped as they saw me approaching.
"Welcome back, Tenou-san, you've been away quite long" Yanagi-san said.
"I was caught up, talking for a bit."
"Did you leave Michiru behind, is she still talking?" Iwai-san asked.
I looked at her puzzled. I had not seen Michiru since she had left this very table, as I told them.
"Oh my, that is strange..." Iwai-san trailed off as her husband continued. "Kazuki came back a short while ago, telling us Michiru would be back with you and then he left."
"Maybe Michiru-san is looking for you Tenou-san." Yanagi-san offered helpful.
I thanked them and turned on my heels to go looking for my friend once again, cursing Kazuki under my breath.

Hurriedly I left the dining hall and jogged up the carpeted stairway. There I saw her sitting at the bar, as I had hoped. Immediately I was by her side. "Mi-" I started, then remembered the barkeeper. "Kaiou-san! There you are. I was worried about you."
Michiru said nothing, she looked at my with blank eyes, as if she was trying to figure out where she knew my face from. She downed her glass and set it on the counter next to another empty one.
"Kaiou-san, we should go downstairs again." I tried again, but she motioned for the barkeeper to bring her another glass.
"I don't want to hear what I should! I don't want to go to that freaking circus downstairs!" she exclaimed heatedly. I took the new glass before Michiru could reach for it, sniffing the contents. It was sake, and strong one judging by the smell.
"That's my drink Haruka!" Michiru protested when I didn't give her the glass. Her speech was already wobbly. Didn't this slick guy behind the counter over see that Michiru was getting herself drunk and that she shouldn't have anymore?
"Maybe you had enough for this evening." I suggested gently and Michiru flared up again. "No I haven't, I can make my own decisions! And it's my decision to have another sake! Hand over my glass Haruka!"
Ignoring her order I waved the barkeeper over.
"How long is the lady sitting here already and just how many drinks has she had already." I asked him.
"I don't know exactly sir, I do not time the guests with a stop watch." The desire to slap his insolent face was almost overwhelming. "Fine, then tell roughly the time she came here. At least you must know how many drinks you poured her."
"As you wish sir, she has been here for the better part of an hour and had three more glasses of sake."
In addition to the two standing here?" I asked, motioning at the two empty one in front of Michiru.
"Yes."
"Put the sake away, she won't be drinking the last one." I told him.
"I'm sick of men like you making decisions for me!" she hissed when I shoved the sake out of her reach.
If Michiru had been drinking here for almost an hour, the conversation with Kazuki must have finished shortly after Chiaki-san had abducted me.
'Goddamn it, such a close miss!'
Though I didn't know why Michiru had suddenly been overcome by the urge to drown so much alcohol, I knew that she had more then enough, judging by her looks. Clearly the reason was in some way or other named Kazuki, I couldn't guess what exactly had happened, neither did I feel like really want to know. There would be time to find out later. The task at hand now, was bringing Michiru home safely, preferably without having her being seen drunk by the other guests.
"Come on Kaiou-san, it is time for you to go home." I said to her softly, extending my hand for her to get up from the barstool. But she slapped it away.
"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm sick of you telling me what to do!" she shouted.
I had never seen her like this. She was upset and about to loose control, all because of whatever that bastard had said to her. If he still had been here, I would have smacked him good in his arrogant face, but he wasn't. And I had more pressing matters at hand. Once again I tried talking to Michiru.
"I'm not telling you what to do Kaiou-san. I would never do that. I am only asking you if you would come down with me for I'd hate to leave you here alone."
This time she did not slap my hand away, yet she didn't take it either. Michiru tried standing up on her own, only to sway and grip for the counter as a support.
"Please, let me help you." I offered again but she still wasn't inclined to accept help. Only when Michiru slipped on the first step and I nearly caught her around the waist, she allowed herself to be guided.

With a lot of luck I managed to steer her out of the building and around the back to the parking ground without being seen. Now I was looking up and down the rows of cars for her company car in which she usually rode to these kind of events, but it wasn't anywhere to be seen. Michiru, though still standing on her own legs, was heavily leaning against me and would probably just have slid down on the ground if it hadn't been for my arm around her waist holding her up.

"Where's your driver Michiru-san?" I asked her.

She didn't respond. The fresh air seemed to have hit her, amplifying the intoxication. I knew it from the few parties including heavy drinking I had visited during university. As long as one was sitting everything was fine, standing up was difficult for most, and the drunkest keeled over when the got outside. I repeated my question more urgent and succeeded in getting a mumble from her this time.

"Pardon? What was that?"

"At home. I said he's at home." She said, steadying herself on my shoulder to look up at me. "The organisation committee had sent a car to fetch me." Her gaze wavered over my face, but she tried to look me into the eyes.
'Great.'

"Alright, then we'll have to take mine. Come on, careful now." So she was all my responsibility. Inwardly sighing, I half walked, half dragged her along the rows of vehicles, back to where I had found a parking space. Now I was glad, that I had not had so many glasses of wine when listening, or rather pretending to listen to Chiaki-san. At least I was still able to drive, for calling a taxi would take a least fifteen minutes and going back in and asking for a driver to bring Michiru home would lead to embarrassing gossip afterwards if they saw her this wasted. By now I knew her well enough, that her pride would never take such a disgrace.

I helped her onto the co-driver seat, where she willingly let herself be placed. It was, I mused as the engine came to live with a gentle hum, fortunate that I knew by now where Michiru lived.

At this hour the streets in Michiru's district were deserted; no other drivers were on the road in a residential area after midnight.. I drove slowly and carefully through the lamp lit streets. When I turned to look at her, Michiru's head had slumped against the window, eyes closed. Gently I shook her, afraid for second that she had gone unconscious. Maybe she had had even more drinks than I had thought, maybe she already had more sake during the conversation with Kazuki.. She didn't open her eyes, but to my relief mumbled something. For the rest of the drive I let her doze.

It was an unexpected coincidence, but right before her apartment building there was one free parking space, though I wasn't going to complain about my luck. Reluctantly Michiru woke up after I had told her to several times. That's to say, she woke up just enough to climb out of the car with my help and be led into the building.
"The floor. It is... it is swaying." Michiru slurred. In response I tightened my grip around her as we walked in. When she leaned her head against my shoulder in the elevator, I caught the faint scent of her perfume. She smelled nice. Not so sickening sweet as other women, for example Chiaki-san, who had me almost choking on her fume clouds, but subtly fresh, a wild flower aroma maybe.

My contemplations however, were cut short by a 'pling' as the elevator announced it had reached the top floor. We walked out and suddenly her legs gave way. She tried to grab my shirt, but her reflexes were too slow, too dulled by the alcohol. Surprised by her full weight suddenly depending on my arm, I stumbled but managed to prevent her body from sliding down onto the floor. I waited for Michiru to steady herself again, but she made no attempt to walk on her own legs again.
"Are you okay?" I asked her worriedly. "Everything's spinning..." she murmured.
Dragging Michiru down the hallway to her door would do no good. Sighing I helped her sit down, resting her against the wall as a support, before I took her purse searching it for the key.

Finally having fount it in a side pocket, I went to open the apartment door just as Michiru took a hold of my sleeve. "Don't go." she pleaded but I assured her I'd be back in no time at all, only unlocking the door.

Michiru was not heavy at all when I returned to gently pick her up and carry her into the apartment. Her slender form fitted well in my arms. Michiru maybe thought the same as I felt her snuggle against my chest and I smiled a little.

So I entered her apartment for the first time with the resident woman in my arms, somewhere in between sleep and drunken stupor and made my way to the living room where I gently placed Michiru down on the couch to fetch her glass of water. It had been some time since I had last dealt with a drunken person, since the end of my studies as far as I remembered, but I still knew that water was almost the only thing that helped to soothe the indisposition. We both had been silent since I had taken her up in my arms and neither said a word now. I just handed her the glass, which she accepted, smiling at me thankfully before closing her eyes again and sinking back into the cushions.

My watch told me it was close to one in the morning. The best I could do, I thought, was to put her into bed where she could have a good night's rest instead of passing out on the couch. I pondered to take Michiru to bathroom but decided against it. She didn't seem particularly likely to be sick and other than helping her throw up there wasn't much I could do.
Maybe though I should remove her make-up I thought.. I went over to the bathroom, had a short look around and found the cleaning tissues I was looking for in a cabinet. Armed with an oily tissue I returned to the couch and sat down. She seemed to have fallen asleep again, her chest heaving steadily. Her face now was looking much more serene and less agitated than it had back at the dinner.
I didn't know exactly what had upset her so much that she had to drown it in copious amounts of sake, but the reason sure as hell was Kazuki, although her incoherent outbursts only left me guessing what exactly had transpired between them.

Gently I touched her cheek with the tissue and started to wipe the make-up away. First along her right cheekbone, then along the left and down to her mouth, then upwards again following her jaw line; always with soft motions to disturb her as little as possible. When I touched her eyelid to remove the eye-shadow, Michiru's eyes fluttered open and she stared at me. My movements came to a hold.

"What are you doing?" she asked me in a slow slur.
"Removing your make-up and then putting you to bed." I answered. "Just hold still for little longer."

Obediently Michiru closed her eyes again, murmuring a thank you, and I carefully wiped the eye-shadow and eye-liner away. She reopened her eyes again and rewarded me with a soft smile. I returned it and felt a deep relief that she did seem a bit better now, her gaze was more focused again. It was really curious how attached to her I had gotten. Only five weeks had passed since she had asked me to help her out as an accompanist, yet I found myself caring for her. It was strange, normally it took me months to open up to someone so much. But being Michiru's friend felt right, in a way I could not explain. The only other person to gain my affection this fast had been Asami.

"Can you stand up or shall I carry you to your bedroom?" I asked when I was done.
She didn't answer immediately but tried to push herself up limply. "Would you mind carrying me Haruka-san?"she said when she had failed to stand up on her own. I shook my head. I wouldn't have offered it, if I minded. I bent down to Michiru and she put her hands around my neck. I was about to lift her up, when I rather felt than saw her gaze. It was intent, almost piercing, her deep ocean blue eyes like endless depths in the dimmed light.

"Is something wrong?" I brought myself to ask after a moment of being caught.

"Thank you, Haruka-san." She whispered, closing her eyes and leaning in. Instinctively I turned my face away and her lips only brushed my cheek. Michiru appeared surprised at my reaction. Her hands slid from around my neck, she pushed herself away while I looked at her confused.

"Why did you avoid it?" she demanded. Suddenly she didn't sound all that drunk anymore and her sharp eyes were pinning me right to the place. "Don't you think me good enough?"
Michiru sounded aggressive but hurt at the same time. I was felt sorry, but it would have been wrong to accept her kiss under this circumstances. Carefully I searched my mind for an explanation which wouldn't insult her and didn't consist of the words "Sorry, but I'm a woman."

The only way I could think of was embracing her. I pulled her back in my arms, and though she struggled at first, Michiru let it happen reluctantly.
"I won't do something you might regret when waking up in the morning." I softly told her.

"Ever the gentleman, aren't you Tenou-san?" she said dryly.
I felt sorry for her, wondering what compelled a beautiful and proud woman to throw herself on a guy like this.

"I really think you should have some sleep now, Michiru-san." I matter-of-factly said and gathered her up in my arms, carrying her over into the bedroom. Michiru did not resist, but neither did she snuggle up against me as she had done previously, when I had carried her through the door. I didn't know how many or what kind of men she had been involved with in her life so far, but it must have appeared as an insult to her no matter what my words were. For a woman like her to be refused by a 'man' was no a thing she encountered often if ever.
However, the most confusing thing was the slight tinge of a feeling akin to regret I felt at not returning the kiss. But Michiru and I were friends - friends did not kiss each other.

We both would have regretted it, either tomorrow morning or sometime later.

Once in her bedroom I carefully lowered Michiru down onto the bed. She made no move whatsoever. Trying to kiss me and being denied seemed to have drained her last resources of energy for the day and she was, from the looks of it, already half asleep again or feigning it.

After unzipping her dress and dutifully averting my eyes until she was under the covers, I bade her good night and she murmured a reply.

My intention was to leave for home, to go into my own bed, for the night had drained me as well, yet the prospect of having to drive through half of Tokyo to get back home was not particularly enticing. Only for a moment, I thought, just a moment to collect myself would not hurt. I sat down on the large couch Michiru had previously lain on. The glass and the water bottle still stood on the same spot I had placed them earlier; of course who should've moved them.

I reached out and poured myself a glass. The water was pleasantly cool, refreshing my tired mind a bit and I drank half of the glass at once. Then I held it up before my eyes watching the liquid, amber as cognac in the dim light, swirl in the glass.

'Wasn't that an indirect kiss just now? It was the same glass Michiru had drunken off and I've drank from it without thinking...'

Maybe I should not have averted my face but allowed her to kiss me, she surely could have done with some physical comfort, I mused. In my mind I looked into those seemingly bottomless depths again, dark and luring before the switch was flicked and they were blazing like steel, reproachful and hurt. I had pained me to see her like this, I had really wanted to offer her some kind of comfort but I hadn't known how.

'Maybe I should have closed my eyes and returned the kiss to those soft lips. But would it have been the right thing to do?'

The glass connected with the table with bright clink, a little more forcefully than I had intended. Sighing my head slumped back on the headrest of the sofa and I ran my hand through my hair agitatedly. It wouldn't have been right, not as an act of compassion. Not when she thought of me as a man. Michiru was a person I cared for, as a friend; therefore such thing should not happen. In vain I tried to ban the thoughts from my head. Asami's gloomy predictions seemed to be right, this was getting more and more complicating, the longer it went.

'Damn'

The dull harbingers of a headache to come were in throbbing my temples and I closed my eyes, massaging the pain.

'She would have regretted it tomorrow morning, she surely would...'

A sudden sharp pain in my neck had me open my eyes. My first impression was being caught in a dream. Although the ceiling above was white just like the one in my bedroom, I knew for certain that my walls were not creamy-coloured, just as I knew that I had no painting of a rough shore on the wall across from my bed. Slowly I sat up cursing under my breath. From the looks of it I had dozed off on Michiru's couch instead of going home. Hopefully she wasn't awake yet, then I might be able to sneak out of her apartment.

However this hope was shattered even before I had a chance to get to my feet, as, just in the moment where I made up my mind to get out, a door softly swung open, revealing a still sleepy Michiru in her nightshirt. When her gaze fixed on my head sticking out above the headrest her eyes went wide. I jumped to me feet immediately.

"I'm sorry, Michiru-san!" I exclaimed hastily." I just fell asleep on your couch last night, I didn't mean to. I shall leave at once!"

"No, it's alright. After all, you had to take care of me last night," she paused for a moment, maybe thinking what had happened last night but collected herself quickly by putting on a cheerful face. "You're welcome to stay for breakfast Haruka-san. Just wait here while I make myself presentable."

And with that she swiftly disappeared into the bathroom. I stared dumbfounded at the locked door for a moment and then sat down on the couch again. Did this mean we were to act as if nothing had happened and just forget it? Probably it was better not to ask, but I hated feeling so confused.

'What a way to start a day.'

I kneaded my stiff neck. Apart from sparing me this embarrassing waking, I wouldn't be aching all over if I had slept at home. Yet I was still in for the biggest shock when I locked down at myself and noted that first: my jacket had come of somehow during the night; most likely I put it of but didn't remember, and second: the bandages over my chest had come loose. The swell of my breasts was distinctly visible beneath my dress shirt. I prayed to God or whatever higher power might be listening, that Michiru had still been not awake enough to notice.

Redoing the bindings in the middle of the living room would have been too much a risk to take, so I waited and when I heard the lock turn, I made sure to be hidden behind the couch. Michiru stepped out, now dressed in sweatpants and a light pullover. Her hair was still damp and she pulled it up in a ponytail. I had never seen her dressed so casual before, but it suited her.

"I've put a clean towel next to the shower for you. I'm sorry I don't have any clothes to change, which I could offer you. I'll be making breakfast while you can shower." She said, before heading off to the kitchen.

The thought of telling her I could very well dress in everything she might have in her wardrobe crossed my mind, but I dismissed it. Now was not the time to break the news.

Once Michiru was safely out of sight, I got up and rushed into the bathroom where I turned the lock to guaranty my safety. Triple-checking it, I finally stripped down, threw the loose bandages on the floor and stepped into the shower. The hot water did wonders to my stiff neck and I stood beneath the jet as long as possible without being impolite.

Relaxed and refreshed I felt a lot calmer - especially since my secret appeared to be save for the time being, until I would find a good time to tell Michiru – deciding to just let the morning come along and see what would happen. With a carefully wrapped chest I finally emerged from the bathroom.

Breakfast was ready, judging by the delicious smell wavering through the apartment. I followed my nose to the kitchen where Michiru was just finishing setting the table.
"It smells wonderful!" I told her. Michiru turned, startled to suddenly hear my voice behind her. "Thanks." she said. "I thought you were the type for a European breakfast so I made pancakes and coffee. I'm afraid, there wasn't much to make a meal out of than eggs and flour in the kitchen. Well, and fruits." she added.

I assured her that it was perfectly fine. "But what do you usually eat for breakfast if there's nothing in your cupboards and your fridge?" I asked.

Michiru poured coffee in both cups. "Don't think me spoiled, but usually I have breakfast on the way to the office. I just eat whatever Taneguchi-san brings along when she fetches me. I eat out far more often than in my own apartment." Michiru admitted put the coffee-pot away and sat down. "Let's eat before it gets cold. Help yourself Haruka-san."
We started eating. The pancakes were delicious, no matter how little Michiru claimed to cook. Both of us were hungry, so at first we ate without slowing ourselves down by talking, but then the clatter of cutlery receded slowly as the silence between us stretched on. The events of the last evening hung over the table, impending, while we were doing our best to ignore them. I searched desperately for something to say, anything to break the silence but I didn't know how to start.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something silly about the view from the kitchen window, when Michiru beat me to it. With a loud clang the knife and fork she'd been holding fell on the table, as she sighed exasperated and rested her head on her hands. "I made a complete fool out of myself yesterday! I don't know where to begin apologizing. You must think me a horribly and weak person now."

"It's okay. I'm sure you had your reasons, in a way..." I trailed off.

"No! It's not okay!" she shouted. "I selfishly got drunk without thinking of the consequences and then, even worse I took advantage of your kindness Haruka-san."

At least ten possible responses ran through my head, none of them really felicitous. I only hoped Michiru would not start crying, for then I would really be at loss how to comfort her properly.

"I still say it was okay. If someone is at fault here it was Soma-san. " I insisted. It could have been such a wonderful evening if this idiot hadn't showed up. Michiru looked up again, smiling weakly.

"You're far too lenient with me Haruka-san. True, Kazuki was riling me up but that's no excuse for letting his provocations get to me and loosing control." and then Michiru went on, the words just spilled from her lips as if she wanted to get them all out she began relating the events of their private conversation to me. "When he had led me upstairs in one of the rooms he asked me whether I was thinking I was annoying him by coming there with you, calling you a second-class substitute and said that I was only embarrassing myself. Kazuki called me a spoiled little girl who shouldn't be allowed to run the company if I acted so childish and stubborn and that he couldn't understand how my father thought I was able to run a company if I made such questionable decisions. You know, I think it really vexed Kazuki that I refused him." she commented wryly. "Anyway, then when he had concluded his rant about you, he warned me that I should not think of myself so high and mighty, for KaiouKom needed him and his contacts abroad. It was sickening to hear him boast about all the new deals he negotiated last month in Europe, when I'm pretty sure most of the time he was spending his money on pretty girls having a good time with him. He said more, mostly about how much good his business has done to my father's company, which I shouldn't foolishly put in jeopardy and that I should be grateful for having his company, when there where so many women in and out of Japan all yearning to be at his side. It's silly, but his words got to me last night, even though I knew has was only saying them to spite me." Michiru paused, drew in a deep breath before she came to the last part of her speech. "I drank to swallow down my own anger and my insecurity as well. The alcohol made me light-headed and... and I'm sorry, truly sorry for what happened last night."

"Don't worry about it anymore. Soma-san is probably all talk, you shouldn't trouble yourself about it." I said trying to sound optimistic.
"You don't know him Haruka-san. Where Kazuki's pride is concerned he doesn't take it lightly." Michiru rested her head on her hands once more, apparently brooding.

In an attempt to be useful, I started cleaning away the remains of our breakfast. Now that I knew what insults Kazuki had been flinging at Michiru, I despised him even more. It was degrading for a man of his position to treat a woman, especially such a wonderful person like Michiru, this way. If I hadn't disliked him already my opinion of him would have sunk to rock-bottom after hearing this. Despite everything Michiru had told me just now, I still wondered why she had come onto me in the end. Whatever her reasons had been, she had skipped out on telling it, leaving me to guess. Did she want to prove to herself, that she was a desirable woman? A look in the mirror should be enough to convince her of that fact. While I wondered if Michiru was really oblivious to all the heads turning whenever she entered a room, a cry from the table disrupted my thoughts.

"That's it!"

"Pardon?" I asked Michiru confused, for she was now sitting upright at the table and looked very energetic, quite contrary to her brooding self a few minutes ago.

"I have an idea on how to do without Kazuki. KaiouKom simply has to get its own contact abroad so it will be independent of his influence."

That made sense. Getting rid of Kazuki was a plan I was all in favour of. "Sounds good, Michiru-san, but how will you go about this?" I asked.

My friend beamed at me. "Kazuki's boasting with his connections to Europe, so I'll get partners in America. I'll have Taneguchi-san write down a list with worthwhile buyers to whom KaiouKom can extend its market, then we'll set up meetings and everything will be wrapped up in no time."

It was a bit too optimistic, but I saw Michiru was launching herself on this new idea to build up her confidence again, therefore I encouraged her. It was just to good to see her smile.

"I know it's a lot to ask of you Haruka-san, in particular after yesterday, but would you please come with me?"

Michiru's eyes were resting on me, hopeful. The prospect of disappointing her would've hurt and moreover I was keen on anything that could impair Kazuki. I nodded.

"Of course. We'll go to America